Restoration Man

This small statue, however, was obviously the work of an artist, and Loro was pleased to find it at the end of the St. Joseph's project. It was the kind of discovery that characterizes the pleasure of restoration. It surfaced for Loro like an unexpected pearl. However, St. Joseph's new priest, Father Ferdinand Derrera, was less delighted with the figure's newly restored bright color -- the statue is seldom on display.

Loro accepts his customers' limits with a sense of resignation and humor. All he can do is save what needs saving. The result is an object restored to its original essence, reinforced at its very core. What happens then is out of his hands. "You can make it right," he says, "but you can't teach them to like it.